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Howdy folks! I am a 23 y/o career firefighter from the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. I live about 1.5 hours from Washington DC to give you a general idea of where I live.
For quite some time now, I have wanted to relocate for a plethora of reasons. I was born and raised in Jefferson County, WV. Although very beautiful, the area has changed for the worst. We constantly get the MD/VA/DC overflow of people. The price of living is outlandish. The property taxes are awful ($2500 this year!). The crime stats have skyrocketed. The overall mentality and attitudes and volatile mix of folks here makes continuing to live here unbearable. This area has bad meories for me for many reasons. I have spiraled into an alomost depressed state (job, people, attitudes, fakeness, etc).
The last time I had this vision, I brushed it off and decided to stick around the area. I bought a small house with about 8 acres in 2006 and thought I would at least want to live here until retirement. Unfortunately, the tables turned quite expiditiously. The last straw for me was when two druggies broke in my garage and stole my almost new 4 wheeler and wrapped it around a tree last June (while I was at work, go figure!)
So I can give you an idea of the type of person behind the screen name, I am currently almost halfway done a Bachelor's Degree in Fire Science and a full time firefighter near my home. I an avid outdoorsman! I love to hunt, hike, run, bike, scuba dive, and LOOOVE to fish and boat! ( I would fish 24/7 if I could). I was born and raised around the mountains and could not imagine living in an area with out the Blue Ridge Mountain backdrop. And, I am a warm weather freak, love the Spring and Summer months! I am what some would consider a big redneck!
My sister and her family lived in Nashville for a couple years and I was smitten with the area. When I went to vist her, I loved the state! It was so beautiful, so clean, the people were incredibly nice and respectful (although I wish there were more mountains around Nashville).
I am planning to visit the area in April and several more times throughout the Spring and Summer.
I am looking for a fresh start in a beautiful place with great people. Making lots of money, while useful at times, is not important to me. In my young life, I have come to the realization that happiness superceedes making all the money. The biggest paycheck in the world could not buy an ounce of happiness. It is my calling to be a firefighter and I want to stay in this career field. I would prefer to work in a moderate to larger city, but would like to live in the boonies.
So my questions for you kind ladies and gents would be the following:
1) If you were to do it all over again where in these areas would you live, and why?
2) Where can I live and not worry about being robbed blind while at work?
3) Do you all have an influx of trasnsplants in these areas, and if so, have they proved troublesome for you?
3) What are taxes like?
4) What is the best areas for an avid fisherman?
5) Hands down, what places should I most absolutely visit and research?
6) What can I do to make my determination?
7) Can anyone offer me any guidance on what to do in this matter?
*Apologies for the incredibly long post, but this is a huge decision that I can not make alone!
I used to live in upper East Tennessee, outside Elizabethton, near Hampton. It was 20 minutes from Roan Mountain and the N. Carolina border, 25 minutes from Johnson City, 45 minutes from Asheville, NC. It's a great place to live. You would have lots of fishing, and you might be able to work in Johnson City or Bristol. The Appalachian Trail is close by --lots of wonderful hiking. The area has not been discovered by outsiders to any great extent so you can still afford to live there (unlike parts of N. Carolina, which has been discovered). I recommend this area.
5) Hands down, what places should I most absolutely visit and research?
In North Carolina, Asheville and the surrounding area. In east Tennessee, Chattanooga, Knoxville and the Tri-Cities area. All medium-sized metro areas with easy access to outdoor activities.
I'd check to see if there is a fire science program at UT-Knoxville or at East Tenn. St., and try to settle near there. Lots of lakes, and decent size cities surrounded by rural hills.
I'd check out eastern TN. I love WNC, but it's building up fast, and getting very expensive. as far as outdoor recreation, my favorite ares are NE TN and SW Virginia. In TN, the areas around Butler and Mountain City are great- I've told my husband more than once that I'd like to move to Elizabethton or Laurel Bloomery when he retires.
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